I stand in front of the full-length mirror, my reflection gazing back at me with uncertainty. In one hand, I delicately hold a black dress, its fabric flowing through my fingers like a dark river. In my other hand, I clutch a white dress, its pristine hue contrasting against my fingertips. A moment of indecision hangs in the air, as I ponder which garment to wear.About an hour ago, I had put my father to bed. I believe that today's events were too much for him to handle, and true to my word, I took him to the hospital with Jax where he accompanied my father to his appointment with Dr. Cameron for a checkup. I wasn't in the mood for his smart-arse personality, and I'm still pretty salty about his undesirable opinion about us being poor like it's a choice. Besides, I didn't get much sleep last night. I tossed and turned as I tried to make sense of what had happened with Alessandro in the middle of the street. I think it's safe to say he is like my human-form kryptonite. He makes me
I fall off the side of my bed with a loud thud as my body hits the carpet. My eyes spring open with tears already trickling down the sides of my cheeks, and I slowly pull myself up on trembling limbs, sitting on the edge of my bed. With my head nestled between my hands, I watch as the delicate droplets of disbelief and suspicion splash across my bare toes. It was a dream… Just a very crazy, awful dream… My mother didn't have a husband and child before she met my father, did she? No, she couldn't have, that’s absurd. My father has told us many stories about my mother being his first love, and my mum always said: “You have always held a place in my heart from when we were younglings.” But it's the name Cameron that sticks with me. And Reece Cameron springs to mind. No. It’s just a coincidence. My mother wouldn't have a child and not raise it. She was always about family, and it's why I was always pestering my father about disowning Rose. It's not what my mother wou
With a sudden jolt, I push the folder away from me as if it were ablaze, my heart pounding in my chest. My body recoils, scrambling away from the cabinet in a frenzy. Wide-eyed, I find myself unable to tear my gaze away from the ominous folder, its contents shrouded in mystery. I... I have a brother?! As much as my heart is screaming at me that there must be a misunderstanding, I know for certain that my eyes don't deceive me. My mother had a family before she settled down with my father, giving birth to Rose and me a few years later. But how? How can she just up and leave her son? Did something terrible happen and was my dad just a rebound guy that she stood beside because she wanted a simpler life? I have so many questions and my mother's not here to answer them. I wonder if my father knows that she had a son and if he did, is he to blame for her abandonment? "Shit, fucking arsehole, shit!!" My inner goddess screams. With my eyes burning holes in my mother's most pr
We enter his office, and I wait as he pulls the blinds up, allowing the sun's beams to flood the room. He takes off his biker gear, placing his helmet on the small table that sits by the small bookcase in the corner of his office “Do you want a coffee?” He looks at me with amusement as he settles behind his desk. I bet he's recalling the shenanigan about us not having any coffee inside the house when popped over unannounced.. “I'm good, thanks.” I smile, as I continue to stand by the door. I watch him as he boots up his computer, taking out three phones from his backpack, a pager, and his ID badge. “How old are you?” I ask him off guard. His fingers briefly glide across his keyboard while his eyes are trained on the screen in front of him. “What does my age have to do with your father's health care?” The tapping sound that engulfs the room suddenly stops. He peers up at me with his brows raised. “It doesn't. I'm just trying to make small talk.” I exhale loudly out o
ALESSANDRO, AKA DON VALENTINO.I lean back in my chair, tilting my head upwards as I stare at the pristine white ceiling. Ivy…She is all I think about, taste and desire. Her name is like a haunting melody that only rings louder in my ears as time moves on. After she sent me a message last night stating that she would be unable to attend dinner, I took the liberty of calling an old friend in the expectancy that she would be able to fuck the memories of Ivy Bishop out of my head.I drove myself to the city's little intimate club, which is well-known for its booths in every corner that is completely blacked out and reserved entirely for fucking to the beat of the music.We drank, danced, she was in fits of laughter at every word I spoke, and when the time came for her to jump on my cock, it was limp. Fucking lifeless. And regardless of what technique she used to make it hard, it was futile.Even my cock is loyal to Ivy Bishop. Knock! Knock!!“Come in!” I mutter, brushing a hand ov
I step off the train and onto the platform, walking down three flights of stairs with my earbuds in my ears and my favourite Jam 🎵 Vida Loca by Black Eyed Peas🎵 blasting in my ears.It's the only song that I can lose myself in. I think it's the line 'It's my life, bitch' that gets my blood pumping and my feet moving. A distraction from the real world and my dilemmas It takes me less than twenty minutes to make it to my neighbourhood. I turn the volume down on my phone because the elderly women who sit on the side streets, playing cards, always shake their heads in displeasure with my taste in music. I get to Jax's house, I look up into the top window where his room is, out of habit.It takes me back to our high school years when he would sneak out of his window, climb down their rose garden vines and come sneak through mine. He was another neighbourhood friend who had a huge crush on Rose as we grew older. For the majority of the time, I felt as though I was living in her shad
I stand under the living room threshold, leaning against the door jab with my arms folded, as I watch my dad and Savannah interact with one another for the very first time. I'll never be able to forget the look on Dad's face when I walked through the front door with Savannah in tow. He was preoccupied, scolding Jax about him moving his queen around the board too early. “I'm on to you, boy.” He growled, wagging his finger at Jax with one eye squinting at him. Jax sat there shaking his head, as he rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “Alright old man!” He yelled with irritation, tired of being called a cheat. “You win.” I closed the door, gaining both of their attention and as my dad's eyes landed on the little figure who was hiding behind me, his bottom lip began to wobble the second he realised who Savannah was. “Well, don't just stand there.” My dad muttered, waving us to come forward. “Come a little closer, so I can get a better look at you.” His voice croaked.I
“I'll have two scoops of chocolate mud with chopped nuts in a cup, please?” I ask the young boy serving me in the ice cream parlour. He nods his head, looking me up and down, and I roll my eyes with irritation. I know I appear too overdressed to be out eating ice cream in a deep crimson dress that clings to my body like another layer of skin. Knee-high boots, that belong to Jaxs older sister, and a black trench coat.Jax wouldn't take no for an answer and to get him off my back I had to get all dolled up and physically leave the house in an Uber. We told my dad that I was meeting with Nicole, my friend who works at our local café.Another lie we told him, as Nicole's gone to Australia for a few weeks to visit her brother and her newborn nephew in Melbourne. “Would you like anything else with that?” The kid asks in a tone I can only assume to be his sultry one. Whatever tone it is, it has the strength to pull me out of my daze. I scrunch my nose up, throwing a twenty-dollar bil
I set the bouquet that little Savannah had gathered from the villa’s lovely rose garden on Roses' grave. I take a step back to where Savannah stands. In her small, delicate hands, she holds the photo frame that contains a picture of her and Rose on their trip to the beach one sunny day. I peer down at her, a sad pout upon her bottom lip, and the tears in her eyes gnaw at the branches of my heart.She is so young and innocent, and she's lost both of her parents. I can't even comprehend what turmoil invades her little body. If anything happens to me or Alessandro, she will be left all alone. Tears pool in my eyes when I imagine her going through life alone, and I nibble on my bottom lip, deep in thought. I wish to give her a sibling. Whether it be blood or through an adoption agency. Conceiving a child is one of my biggest fears after losing our precious child beforehand. But with my tubes being cleaned and two doctors on call at my every whim. The fear that harbours my body isn't
FIVE DAYs LATER.It's been five pleasurable days since I spontaneously married the man whom I love like there is no tomorrow. We finally left the room and joined the rest of civilisation yesterday afternoon. We also took Savannah out to the beach for dinner and an early evening swim in the water. We ate, laughed, sang silly childhood songs from the past and swam. It was a perfect evening to end a perfect wedding and the start of a wonderful life together — as a family. Alessandro hasn't been able to keep his hands off my body either and this morning, I slipped out of the room bright and early to evade his wandering hands. Torturous mouth. And well… I'm sure you get the picture.My body aches in places I never knew it could. My womanly parts have never felt so raw and beautifully used at the same time. But today I'd actually like to sit down without gnawing on the inside of my cheek to mask the hissing wince that escapes my lips. As I descend the stairs, with Viktor not too far
Alessandro lets out a little growl. “You'll be the death of me, woman.” He takes my hand and starts leading us off the dance floor, making a small pit stop when we reach Riccardo and Selena.Riccardo clears his throat, steps away from Selena like her touch suddenly burnt, and he straightens his posture, running a hand through his hair. Selenas’ eyes widen as they dart between Alessandro and Riccardo, placing her hands behind her back. “I think you'll both make one hell of a power couple, and I give you my blessing,” Alessandro says with amusement flickering in his eyes as he thrusts his hand out.Selenas’ head snaps up with a big smile spreading across her face and her mouth agape. Riccardo looks at Alessandro with shock-engulfed irises, and he clears his throat as he takes Alessandros’ hand in his and starts shaking it. “You knew?” “Of course I did,” Alessandro chuckles as he releases Riccardos’ hand and pulls me into his side. “There's not much that goes on in the villa that I
I don't know how many times I have told myself that marrying Alessandro today is crazy.Impulsive.But when I think back to the photos of the stunning Brazilian dancer all over him. Jealousy invades my body like a plague. It's cruel, tormenting, and body crippling. It's a feeling that I wouldn't want to wish upon my greatest enemy.The truth is, I love Alessandro. I want to be his wife. His lifetime companion and I know he feels the same about me. He refers to me as his Farfalla. My glorious, powerful prince charming, who is hell-bent on haunting my nightmares back even though he has demons of his own, lurking in the shadows that I vow to slay on his behalf.Together, we can be unstoppable. We can conquer the impossible and build an indestructible empire.Together as one.We have old wounds that have been opened and exposed, forcing me to face my insecurities as they lured cruel enemies back into our lives from the shadows of hell.We slipped through each other's fingers multipl
MINUTES EARLIER.Walking out of the bathroom, a knock sounds at my bedroom door. “Come in,” I call out, jumping back under the sheets in the bed I share with Alessandro.The door slowly pries open. I glance up and watch as Nic and Selena walk into the room, looking like utter shit. They look how I feel. Pointing to the bottle of painkillers on the bedside table, “help yourself, there's no ice water, so you'll have to go downstairs for that,” I say as I try to stifle a yawn behind my hands.“Babe,” Nic says in her 'I have something to tell you, and you're not going to like it' voice.Shit…The blood drains from my face. “What's wrong?” I ask as I sit upright, pulling the sheet with me.Selena sits down on the bed, followed by Nic, and she opens the laptop she had walked in with and turns it around to face me. “There are some pictures…” Selena says as she glances at Nic.“Of what?” I ask before looking at the screen.If it's about the shitfest that happened last night. I might jus
“Come on, hon,” I say to Nic as I loop our arms together and follow Riccardo out of the club.Nic stumbles across the dance floor muttering, “I seriously like Reece, I mean, I think he's a top-notch bloke, but…” She sighs, leaving her sentence unfinished and I let her be.I just want to get out of here and go home to my big, comfortable bed. As we exit the club, we take a right, following Riccardo and I watch as he catches up with Selena, wrapping his long fingers around her upper arm; she instantly halts her movements, spinning around to face him. “What do you want from me, Cardo?” She cries out as she shrugs him.“What the cazzo’s gotten into you?” He growls incredulously.“Gotten into me?” She snorts as she violently wipes the tears sliding down her cheeks. “Si, you.” He hisses. She laughs bitterly at him as her eyes search his face. “You're unbelievable.” She spits as she walks away from him once again.Nic and I try to keep our distance to give them their privacy, as we lurk
THE FOLLOWING WEEK.As I walk into Alessandros’ office, knowing that his meeting is drawing to an end; I hear his velvet voice fill the vicinity.“Is there still no word from Ryan?” He asks his henchmen with frustration.I trip over my feet, thanking the God's no one saw me, as everyone is distracted with the folios they have in their grasps.“I'll take that as a firm no,” Alessandro mutters under his breath as he types away on his keyboard.Guilt nibbles away at my heart.I desperately want to tell him where Ryan is to prevent him from stressing out any further. Then I consider the consequences of telling him that I sent one of his finest men on a mission without his knowledge.It's undoubtedly safer if I don't tell him. I scan the third row of books at the bottom of the bookcase and halt when my finger lands on Roses' favourite novel. I remove it from the shelf and open it, turning the pages as dust escapes from the spine.Just as I'm about to close it, a scrap of paper falls out
I turn my attention to the large clock on the wall. “Shit!” I mutter, walking out of the kitchen with my stomach twisting in knots. “Viktor?” I call out as I see him talking to one of the other henchmen. He expresses his farewells and jogs towards me. “You called, Miss Bishop?” He responds with a broad grin. “I did.” I chuckle. Viktor is always smiling, and I've noticed whenever he smiles, I smile too, as his is infectious. “I need to go into town. I have a lunch date with the girls and if I don't leave now, I'm going to be super late.” I exhale loudly, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep the rest of the week away. “Very well, I'll bring the car around and inform Ryan?” He curtly bows his head and walks away before I can respond. I make my way out of the villa after retrieving my handbag and to where the car awaits, with Ryan behind the wheel and Viktor holding the passenger door wide open. As I slide into the car, I raise my brows at him. “Don't.” He mu
I run my hands through my hair as I exhale. I have no idea what is going on and am completely bewildered. Riccardo tells me this is Alessandros’ method of submitting to me as he drapes an extremely thick coat with weights over Alessandros’ shoulders. His face distorts in anguish as he attempts to maintain his calm and stance. “Tell him what's bothering you and what you expect from him.” Riccardo shares with me. I nod my head, looking around the yard, and I become well aware that we have an audience on our hands. Part of me wants to tell them all to piss right off, but then the other part of me wants them to stay. So they can hear what I've said straight from my mouth, rather than the gossip that spreads through the thin walls like wildfire. I return my attention to Alessandro. His head is bowed as he continues to kneel before me. Swallowing my pride, I lower myself onto my knees. “You hurt me,” I declare in an even tone. “I know you have been driven by wrath to find Mrs D